Collapsible paperboard box



March 4, I969 R. E. PAIGE COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD Box Sheet Filed June20, 1967 Attorneys March 4, 1969 R. E. PAIGE COLLAPSIBLE PAPERBOARD BOXSheet 3 of 2 Filed June 20, 1967 INVENIOR. P/chard E Pa/ge 8y Dav/'5,Hox/, F0/7/7fu// 8 Hopgood United States Patent 3,430,840 COLLAPSIBLEPAPERBOARD BOX Richard E. Paige, New York, N.Y., assignor to The PaigeCompany Containers, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkFiled June 20, 1967, Ser. No. 647,516 US. Cl. 229-37 12 Claims Int. Cl.B65d 5/02, 5/36 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible cartoncontaining inner and outer telescoping shells which when constructeddefine a carton having four double walls of equal height, two end wallsand two side walls wider than the end walls, at least one of the sidewalls having a hand opening on one of its inner panels.

Background and objectives This invention is directed to a constructionfor a double walled box collapsibly formed from a single blank offoldable sheet material such as solid or corrugated paperboard.

There has been a need for many years for an economical box which can beshipped in a flat form and readily erected by the user. The box must bestrong and sturdy during its use, reusable many times, and yet readilycollapsible for storage or shipment. For example, in a factory a totebox is used to carry parts from place to place. They must sometimes bearthe weight of heavy loads. Since the number of such boxes in use varies,they must be readily storable. Therefore, it is often desirable thatsuch boxes be constructed so that they may be collapsed for storage orshipment and re-erected when needed.

It is an objective of this invention to provide a onepiece constructionfor a double walled box which one man may easily erect and easilycollapse and which is strong and economical.

In accordance with the objectives of the present invention, I haveprovided a blank formed from a single piece of corrugated or solidpaperboard. The blank has four upper panels joined by fold lines, anequal number of intermediate joining panels, and an equal number ofbottom panels joined by fold lines. The upper panels form the four wallsof the inner box, the intermediate panels form the bottom of the box andthe four bottom panels form the walls of the outer box. The blank iserectable to form a double walled box construction having joined panelsforming the inner shell within those forming the outer shell.

The four double walls of the box consist of two double end walls and twodouble side walls. The side walls are wider than the end walls.Collapsible boxes and cartons of this type have been described in myearlier Patents 2,577,588, issued Dec. 4, 1951; 2,843,308, issued July15, 1958; and 3,278,108, issued Oct. 11 1966.

I have discovered that such collapsible boxes are unexpectedly morereadily disassembled if a hand Opening is provided in the inner panel ofone of the side walls. The box of this invention is more readilydisassembled by a single operator by grasping the hand opening of theinner panel of one side Wall with one hand and the adjacent, outer panelwith the other hand, whereupon the inner panels are readily pulledoutwardly and the box is consequently disassembled by telescoping theinner and outer box panels.

My present invention is particularly suitable as embodied in collapsibleboxes described in my Patent 3,278,108. In this preferred embodiment, atleast one set of panels (and preferably all three sets) forms sides ofPatented Mar. 4, 1969 a truncated pyramid; that is, the fold lines andsides of each set are taken along lines which, if extended, would meetat a finite point.

Due to the layout of the blank in the form of a truncated pyramid, inthis preferred embodiment, the inner and outer shells are tapered. Thispermits the outer shell to accommodate the thickness of the walls ofinner shell in so precise a manner that squeezing and crushing may beeliminated. The inner shell telescopes with the outer shell so thatthere is little or no resistance to such collapsing, when the userwishes to pull out the inner box by means of its side wall hand openingto collapse the structure for storage.

Other objectives will be apparent from the description set forth belowof a preferred embodiment of my invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawmgs.

In my Patent 2,577,588, I disclose a construction of an open top doublewalled box which is preassembled at a box factory and shipped in flatform to the user who then erects the box without the need of glue orfasteners. The blank for this box is made from a single blank ofmaterial and comprises a rectangle with the outer panels of the eventualbox positioned along one edge and the inner panels positioned along theopposite edge. In the central portion of the blank, joining these groupsof panels, are panels which form the bottom of the box. The blank isfolded so that the extreme end edges of the outer panels are joined atthe box factory by suitable means such as an overlying flap or tape. Theuser receives the blank in its flat and joined form and erects the boxby opening the folded and joined blank into a rectangular tube. He thentelescopes the upper portion of the tube (the inner shell), whichcomprises the inner panels, downwardly into the outer shell, which isdefined by the outer panels, at the lower portion of the tube. Thiscauses the central panels to fold over and form a double walled box witha double bottom. It is possible to squeeze the inner box into the outerbox because even though the walls are upright the corrugated board ofwhich the box is made is about air, having only of an inch of actualpaper in said corrugated board. The inner box is constructed at thecorners and the air crushed out so that the outer box can be forced overthe inner box as a tight fit.

The purposes for which the box of Patent 2,577,588 were intended usuallydid not encompass its reuse. The principal intended use was the storageof out-of-date ofiice and legal records and the box was used with theone set of contents for many years. The need for pulling this tightlywedged box apart in such use was rare.

In my Patent 2,843,308 I disclose an improvement of this box in whichthe bottom is caused to interlock by means of openings cut into certainof the panels forming the bottom. The box of my Patent 2,843,308 servedthe same function as to the box of my Patent 2,577,588, except that thebottom was stronger clue to the extension into the sides of the bottompanels. A box full of paper weighs about sixty pounds, and if the bottomis not strong, it may collapse.

In both of my prior patents, those panels forming the inner box are thesame dimensions as those forming the outer box and the thickness ofpaper of the box is not accounted for. Considerable elfort is requiredto force the cardboard to compress enough to permit the inner shell totelescope within the outer shell. The erected box is difiicult tocollapse back to its flat form.

In order to collapse or knock down the box, one man must grasp the endpanel hand holds of the outer shell with the bottom facing his chestwhile another man reaches into the open top and grasps the end panelhand holds of the inner shell. They must then pull strongly inopposition until the tight wedging of the box sections is overcome andthe shells are pulled apart. However, I have found that by the provisionof a hand opening on a side panel of the inner shell of the boxesdescribed in Patents 2,577,588 and 2,843,308, the boxes may be morereadily disassembled or knocked down.

In my Patent 3,278,108, on the other hand, I disclose an improved boxparticularly suitable for repeated assembly and disassembly, wherein theinner or outer shells or both are tapered in the form of a truncatedpyramid. Thus the inner shell fits more readily into the outer shellupon assembly, and the box may be more easily disassembled withoutdamage to the structure. Similar improvement is also obtained intruncated pyramidal cartons by the incorporation of a hand opening in aside panel of the inner shell to ease disassembly. Such cartons becomeeven more suitable because of the present invention for repeatedassembly and disassembly. In many cases the side panel hand openingmakes disassembly by one person possible for carton forms otherwise tootight to be collapsed by fewer than two persons.

Drawings In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing the blank pattern of the preferredembodiment of the present invention. The angular relationships of theblanks are exaggerated in the drawings for clarity in the description.

FIGURES 2-7 show the erection of the preferred embodiment of the boxutilizing the blank of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIGURE 1 aspreassembled and folded flat for shipment.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the first step in erection of thebox and indicating the pyramidal shape of the box sections.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the box after its erection,corresponding to FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the box after its erection,corresponding to FIGURE 5.

Detailed description of the invention The present invention will bedescribed in detail in its preferred embodiment employing the truncatedpyramidal carton. Such carton is formed of a single blank of foldablesheet matrial such as corrugated solid paperboard, which is scored andcut as indicated in FIGURE 1. Substantially parallel to the top longedge 2 is a series of transverse score lines 3. These lines, inconjunction with the longitudinal score lines 4a, 4b and 4c, define aseries of four substantially rectangular sections or panels 5, 6, 7 and8. End panels 6 and 8 are equal in size to each other; side panels 5 and7 are also equal in size to each other, but are substantially wider thanend panels 6 and 8. In accordance with this invention, side panel 7 hasan opening 9 to form a hand opening, the opening being locatedapproximately midway between the end panels 6, 8. End panels 6 and 8, inthe preferred embodiment of FIGURE 1, also have hand openings 10a and10b. These panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 are at the top of the blank and form thefour sides of an inner tubular shell.

A series of transverse score lines 12 are parallel to the bottom edge 11of the blank. Score lines 12, in conjunction with longitudinal scorelines 13a, 13b and 13c, define a second series of panels 14, 15, 16 and17 with panel 17 having a hinged attachment flap 32 on the outer end 13thereof. The longitudinal score lines 4a and 13a lie along commonimaginary line 40a. Similarly, lines 4b and 13b lie along line 40b, andlines 4c and 130 lie along line 40c. Side panels 14 and 16 aresubstantially wider than end panels 15 and 17.

Due to the angular relationship shown in FIGURE 1, side panels 14 and 16and the end panels 15 and 17 of the outer shell are wider, respectively,than the side panels 5 and 7 and the end panels 6 and 8 of the innershell. End panels 15 and 17, in the preferred embodiment of FIGURE 1,have hand openings 18a and 18b. These panels 14-17 form the four sidesof the outer tubular shell. The shell formed from the inner panels 5-8is capable of fitting within the shell formed from the outer panels14-17.

Between the score lines 3 and 12 the blank is cut and scored to define aseries of adjacent foldable connecting strips which comprise the flooror bottom of the erected carton. One connecting strip or portionconsists of the sections 20 and 21 which are hinged along the centerfold line 22. The sections 20 and 21 are trapezoidal in shape, the longbase of the trapezoid 20 coinciding with the long bottom edge of thepanel 5, and the long base of the trapezoid 21 coinciding with the longbottom edge of the panel 11. A similar set of sections 23 and 24 areformed between the panels 7 and 16, the sections 23 and 24 being hingedalong the center fold line 25.

The connecting strip between the panels 6 and '15 is substantiallyrectangular and consists of the sections 26 and 27 which are hingedcentrally at 28. A similar strip, consisting of the sections 29 and 30hinged centrally together at 31, is positioned between the panels 10 and17. Recesses 34a and 34b, cut into the fold lines 28 and 31,respectively, perform the function of interlocking the various panels20, 21 and 23, 24 with panels 27, 26 and 23, 24 to form the bottom, asdescribed below.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the panels 5-8 are rendered smaller thanthe corresponding panels 14-17 by laying out the blank with its foldlines 4a, 4b and 4c and 13a, 13b and 13c along lines 40a, 40b, 400. Thelines 40a-40e meet at a distant finite vanishing point (not shown). Theblank is laid out as an arcuate segment with a long radius. In a commonsize of the erected box, namely, one about a cubic foot in volume, thevanishing point or radius is fixed at feet distant. This slight taper isgreatly exaggerated in the drawing of FIGURE 1, and in the otherfigures, for clarity. It is this slight taper which allows the innerpanels 5-8 to be smaller than panels 14-17. The convergence of the lines4a-4e and 13a-13e is shown, again exaggerated, in FIGURE 3, showing thebox when opened, but before it is fully erected.

After the blank has been scored and cut in the factory, as indicated inFIGURE 1, it is folded upon itself along the lines 12, and is thenfolded transversely along the lines 4a-4c and 13a-13c. The hingedattachment flap 32 (on the end of panel 17) is brought into overlappingengagement with the free edge of the panel 14. This flap is then securedto this free edge by gluing, stapling, etc., and the resultant structureassumes the flattened condition shown in FIGURE 2. A similar flap may beused to fasten the free edges of the inner shell, if even a strongercarton is desired. This completes the manufacturing procedure, which isrelatively simple and inexpensive. In its flat condition shown in FIGURE2, the carton may be stacked with others, packaged, readily transported,and stored.

The process of setting up the box by the user is illustrated in FIGURES2-7. The first step is to open the assembled blank into the positionshown in FIGURE 3, in which each shell assumes a tubular configurationhaving a rectangular cross section. The outer shell consists of thepanels 14-17, its lower edge being defined by the lines 12. The innershell consists of the panels 5-10, its lower edge being defined by thelines 3. Connecting these edges are the strips which, in FIGURES 2 and3, lie adjacent to the respective panels which they unite.

The final step is setting up the structure as illustrated in FIGURES 4and 5 and consists in telescoping the inner shell into the outer shell.During this movement, each trapezoidal strip 20 and 21 and 23 and 24doubles inwardly upon itself. The rectangular strips of sections 26- 27and 29-30 slide into positions between the folded halves of the adjacenttrapezoidal strips and are overlapped. Ultimately, the four foldedtrapezoidal strips lie in the interengaged relation shown in FIGURES 6and 7. In this position the sections connecting the outer and innershells form the floor in the container and provide the floor with adouble layer of corrugated board.

The cut-out recesses 34a and 34b along fold lines 28 and 31 accommodatethe edges 33 of the inwardly folding panel sections 20, 21, 23 and 24,as is shown in FIGURE 4. Theses panel sections thus interlock with panelsections 26, 27, 29 and 30 to form an interlocked double bottom.

Upon completion of the setting-up operation there will be a registry ofthe conformable openings a and 18a in one of the ends of the carton, anda corresponding registry of the openings 10b and 18b in the oppositeend. Hand opening 9 is of course through inner panel 7, the inner panel7 being on the side opposite the joint formed by the attachment flap 32and the panel 14. In order to so locate the hand opening 9, the openingis placed through the inner panel 7 which is remote from thelongitudinal end of the blank as is illustrated in FIGURE 1. Since thereis no attachment flap for the inner shell, the hand opening 9 is on theside opposite the loose inner panel '5. Each pair of registering endopenings affords a hand grip with which the carton may be grasped forlifting or transporting, while the opening on the inner panel of oneside affords means by which the carton may be readily disassembled inaccordance with this invention.

The carton is collapsed by the reverse procedure of that shown inFIGURES 2-7. Opening 9 is grasped by one hand while the other handapplies force to the upper edge of panel 16, and the inner shell islifted out of the outer shell (FIGS. 6,4). Finally, the opened carton(FIG. 3) is folded flat to the position shown in FIG- URE 2.

In the preferred embodiment of the carton blank shown in FIGURE 1, theouter shell tapers outwardly and the inner shell tapers inwardly. Thereis no tight contact between the shells (FIGS. 4 and 5) until the innershell is telescoped wholly within the outer shell (FIGS. 6 and 7). Withthe provision of hand opening 9, moreover, the carton is easy to erectand disassemble.

Conclusion In the embodiment described above, the clearance between theunitary inner and outer shells permits erection and knock-down of theboxes, without the forceful effort required to telescope, withconsequent crushing, identically sized box sections. Moreover, the sidehand opening greatly facilitates disassembly by a single person. Theresultant ease of assembly and disassembly permits the boxes to berepeatedly set up without strain on the cardboard.

The dimensions of the various panels and of the final box depend uponthe use for which the box is intended. In one embodiment, the box is 12inches wide (the width of end panels 15 and 17), 15 inches deep (thewidth of side panels 14 and 16) and 10 inches high (the height of panels1447). Due to the precise measurements made possible in the preferredembodiment by the truncated pyramid shape of the blank and the definitethickness of the corrugated board (which ranges from A3 of an inch for Bflute, to A of an ich for A flute) the box can *be so closely plannedthat the inner walls of the box may slide with ease into the outer wallsof the box without crushing. The collapsing for reuse of this box havinga hand opening on a side panel of the inner shell is easily achieved byone person.

The easy collapsing of the box embodying this invention makes new andmore practical uses for the box, for example, as a factory tote box fortransporting small parts from one department to another, and storingthem. After the parts are removed from the box, the boxes may becollapsed and folded flat into a comparatively small package fortransport back for another load of parts.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible carton, nested inner and outer tubular shells eachof which comprises adjacent end and side panels with longitudinal hingeconnections, said shells being axially movable into a telescopedoverlying relationship in which the telescoped shells define a set ofdouble walled carton sides, and a series of foldable panels transverselyhingedly connected between the adjacent end edges of said shells, saidfoldable panels being adapted to interlock in a common transverse planeto define the floor of the carton when said shells are telescoped, saidend and side panels of each shell being of substantially equal height,said side panels of each shell being of substantially equal length, saidend panels of each shell being of substantially equal length, all ofsaid side panels being substantially longer than any of said end panels,at least one side panel of said inner shell having a hand openinglocated substantially midway between said end panels, said hand openingextending through said inner shell only.

2. The collapsible carton of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal hingeconnections of the inner shell have axes lying along converging lineswhich meet in a finite vanishing point above the upper edged of thecarton.

3. The collapsible carton of claim 9, wherein the longitudinalconnections of the outer shell having axes lying on converging lineswhich if extended would meet in a finite vanishing point below the floorof the carton.

4. The collapsible carton of claim 3, wherein the longitudinal hingeconnections of the inner shell have axes lying along converging lineswhich meet in a finite vanishing point above the upper edge of thecarton,

5. A single piece blank of paperboard for a double walled cartoncomprising four inner shell panels consisting of two side panels and twoend panels and lying along one transverse edge of the blank and definedby longitudinal score lines, four outer shell panels consistingcorrespondingly of two side panels and two end panels and lying alongthe opposite transverse edge of the blank and defined by longitudinalscore lines, and four separated bottom forming panels extending betweensaid inner and outer shell panels and defined therefrom by transversescore lines, at least one of the inner shell side panels only having ahand opening substantially midway between the ends thereof, said handopening extending through said inner shell only.

6. The single piece blank of paperboard of claim 5, wherein saidlongitudinal score lines of said outer shell panels lie along linesconverging toward a finite vanishing point lying beyond said one edge ofthe blank.

7. The single piece blank of paperboard of claim 5, wherein saidlongitudinal score lines of said inner panels converging toward a finitevanishing point lying beyond said one edge of the blank.

8. The single piece blank of claim 10, wherein said longitudinal scorelines of said inner and outer shell panels lie along common linesconverging toward a finite vanishing point lying beyond the top edge ofsaid blank.

9. The collapsible carton of claim 1 including an attachment flaptransversely hingedly attached to one of the panels of the outer shell,the flap being fixedly attached to an adjacent panel to form acontinuous, bonded outer shell, said hand opening extending through theside panel of the inner shell which is opposite the side panel of theouter shell to which the flap is attached.

10. A single piece blank of paperboard for a double walled cartoncomprising:

(a) four inner shell panels consisting of two side panels and two endpanels lying along one tranverse edge of the blank and defined bylongitudinal score lines,

(b) outer shell panels consisting correspondingly of two side panels andtwo end panels and an attachment flap, the side and end panels lyingalong the opposite edge of the blank and defined by longitudinal scorelines, the flap lying along one transverse edge of the blank and beingattached to one of the outer shell panels, and

(c) four separated bottom forming panels extending between said innerand outer shell panels and defined therefrom by transverse score lines,

(d) the inner shell side panel remote from the transverse edge of theblank having a hand opening therethrough, said hand opening extendingthrough said inner shell side panel only.

11. A single blank as defined in claim 10 wherein the hand openingthrough the inner shell side panel is substantially midway between thelongitudinal score lines defining that panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,308 7/1958 Paige 229-373,278,108 10/1966 Paige 229-37 3,310,221 3/1967 Duncan 229-37 DAVIS T.MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

12. The single piece blank of claim 11, wherein the 15 22941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,430,840March 4, 1969 Richard E Paige pears in the above identified It iscertified that error ap t are hereby corrected as patent and that saidLetters Paten shown below:

Column 2, line 43, "constructed should read constricted Column 3, line50, "matrial should read material Column 6, line 25, "edged' should readedge line 44, cancel "only".

Signed and sealed this 31st day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, IR

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer

